ScandAsia Singapore - June 2016

JUN 2016
Conscious Fika Café
expanding in Singapore
ScandAsia.dk ScandAsia.fi ScandAsia.no ScandAsia.se

FUTURE
BABE RUTH
REQUIRED
FROM 2 TO 18 YEARS OLD
Open House
Friday, June 3 rd 2016
Register at www.sais.edu.sg
Stamford American introduces SMART Steps
and the Perceptual Motor Program, from
2 years old. These highly respected programs
are structured for body and brain development
in preparation for classroom success.
300
specialist training
apparatus
19
specialist
teachers
ST
3Early Years specialist
sports halls
Stamford offers an outstanding international
education for students from 2 to 18 years.
We offer the rigorous IB Program – enhanced by
American standards and a focus on languages –
to equip your child for global citizenship.
21/2/2016 – 20/2/2020
Stamford American International School CPE Registration Number: 200823594D Period of Registration:
August 10, 2014 to August 9, 2018
Inquiry Hotline
+65 6653 7907

News Brief
JUN 2016
Conscious Fika Café
expanding in Singapore
ScandAsia.dk ScandAsia.fi ScandAsia.no ScandAsia.se
Singapore receives big donation from
Det norske
By Maria Andreasdottir
On Friday 20 May 2016 Det Norske
Oljeselskap (The Norwegian Oil
Company) has donated SGD 2000 to
C.I.T.Y Community Services in Singapore (of St.
Andrew’s Cathedral, seeking to meet the needs of
underprivileged primary school children, incl. int.
students who live and study in Singapore far away
from their families). But this is not all; Det Norske
wanted to share the best of the Norwegian culture
to Singapore, why they in collaboration with the
Norwegian Embassy invited 60 boys from the
famous 900-years old boys’ choir, Nidarosdomen’s
Boys’ Choir, to perform a concert in the beautiful
St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Singapore. Members of
C.I.T.Y attended the concert, and they showed
their gratitude of letting six children from C.I.T.Y
handing each choir member a handmade gift in
form of a beautifully crafted notebook. They also
gave flowers to both Karl Hersvik, the Norwegian
Ambassador and the choir conductor, Bjørn Moes.
Det Norske thanked the Norwegian
Ambassador and handed the Embassy a beautiful
work of art “A man and a ship”.
Det Norske also hosted a reception to
express their gratitude for Singapore. CEO of Det
Norske, Karl Johnny Hersvik, welcomed the guests
including Norwegian Ambassador in Singapore,
H.E. Tormod Endresen and Norwegian Minister
of Migration and Immigration, Sylvi Listhaug. There
was a special reason why Det Norske had chosen
to bring Nidarosdomen’s Boys’ Choir to Singapore.
Your FREE
ScandAsia
Magazine
in Singapore
ScandAsia is the only magazine
that covers all the Danish, Finnish,
Norwegian and Swedish residents
in Singapore.
We also publish a ScandAsia magazine
in China, Thailand, and the rest
of South East Asia.
Get your own
FREE copy:
scandasia.com
Publisher :
ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd.
211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29
Prasert Manukitch Road
Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao
Bangkok 10230, Thailand
Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8,
Fax: +66 2 943 7169
Editor-in-Chief :
Gregers A.W. Møller
gregers@scandmedia.com
Managing Editor:
Joakim Persson
Joakim@scandmedia.com
Swea white party in Singapore
Some Swedes from community in Singapore
were seen dancing on the sand on Sentosa
Island as SWEA Singapore arranged their
spring celebration with a ‘white party’.
The event, which took place on 23 April at
beach restaurant Coastes, was a success, reports
Maria Sehlin Almost 100 persons came and had a
lovely and very hot evening with good food, nice
friends and dancing on the beach.
It was a diverse meet-up with both
newcomers and other Swedes who have been
living in Singapore for more than 20 years. SWEA
Singapore (Swedish Women´s Educational
Association) has two parties each year when also
husbands are welcome. One in the spring and one
in autumn. They are always very popular.
Advertising :
Frank Leong
frank@scandmedia.com
Finn Balslev
finn@scandmedia.com
Graphic Designer :
Peerapol Meesuwan
Peerapol@scandmedia.com
Distribution :
Wanvisa Rattanaburi
wanvisa@scandmedia.com
Printing :
Inthanon Interprint Co., Ltd.

News Brief
Art exhibition at Norwegian Swedish church
Sweden’s Ambassador to Singapore, H.E.
Håkan Jevrell inaugurated the an art
exhibition arranged in collaboration
between Norwegian Sjömannskirken and
Sweden’s Svenska kyrkan in Singapore and
SWEA Singapore.
The pictures show the vernissage for the art
exhibition at Sjömannskirken och Svenska kyrkan
i Singapore, which ended on 3 May. All paintings
were done by Norwegian and swedes currently
living in Singapore.
These artists are:
Annelie Nikou, Swe
Ann-Birgitt Haugan, No
Susanne Wallin, Swe
Kari Misund. No
Eva Tägt, Swe
Ika Forsell, Swe
Fozia Rafiq, No
Lady record: SWA’s greatest Ladies Night
by Maria Andreasdottir
How to make a Thursday more chic?
Scandinavian Women’s Association
knows the secret... They invited ladies
from all ages and nationalities to Ladies Night at
a French venue.
Ooh la la and big SWA merci
”It was truly a wonderful evening,” says Mette
Trock-Jansen from Krag Nordic. Almost fifty other
women agree with her.
”We can’t believe we had the biggest turnout
ever on a Ladies Night,” says SWA President
Maria Therese Hedenborg.
In total 49 women gathered at the chic
4 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2016
O’Batignolles Wine Bar & French Bistrot to
SWA’s Ladies Night, and 18 new women signed
up for SWA membership on the evening. This
makes the biggest turnout to the SWA ever. New
President Maria Therese Hedenborg is proud of
how the event turned out.
”This Ladies Night has so far been the biggest
in SWA’s history. Never have we managed to
gather so many women to a networking event. It
was amazing to meet both new and familiar faces,
and especially for me it was fantastic to greet new
members welcome onboard,” said Maria Therese.
The Ladies Night was the first of its kind since
she took over the President post in March 2016.
The French wine bar O’Batignolles served
delicious food and yummy nibbles all night, and
the French-inspired interior created a cozy-chic
atmosphere, perfect for cheering in wine with
your girlfriends.
To make the night even more joyful, SWA had
created a charity lottery lucky draw, sponsored
by Danish Business Association Singapore. The
ladies had the chance to win amazing prizes, but
in reality, the biggest prize guaranteed this night
was knowing the money for attending the lottery
all went to support SWA’s local charity partners.
”The support from our members and
sponsors means the world. It makes it possible for
us to keep giving back to the community through
our local charity partners.”
SWA supports Breadline Group Singapore
and Boys’ Town, among others.
SWA aims to create values for both members
and the surrounding community. Being a nonprofit
charity organisation, SWA members pays
a small fee to participate in events to cover food
and beverages, but it is not required to be a
member to support or to participate in SWA’s
events.
”The meaning with SWA’s Ladies Nights are
to create a non-formal and fun networking event
for our members, but everyone is welcome.
Scandinavian or not, we are more than happy
when our members bring a friend or two along,”
said Maria Therese.
Follow SWA on Facebook and www.
swasingapore.com.sg for news about all upcoming
events and updates on SWA’s charity work.

June 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 5

News Brief
GWS gets closer to Asia Pacific market via Singapore
GWS Production AB (Sweden), provider
of personal security service Safeture,
is establishing a subsidiary in Singapore
in 2016, which will enable getting closer to the
market and the Asian customers. The company
has since 2015 been represented by a regional
sales office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but decided,
based on the customer needs, to establish local
presence also in Singapore with GWS Production
(Singapore) Private Limited.
GWS has developed the service concept
Safeture, a personal security service when
traveling, which provides critical information
about disasters and other threats, directly in the
traveller’s smartphone through an app that is
easily downloaded. As part of the Safeture global
sales strategy, GWS has identified local presence
as an important step in growing in the dynamic
Asia Pacific region.
Andreas Rodman, CEO at GWS, commented
that their decision to establish a subsidiary was
based on conclusions from direct dialogues with
customers located in Singapore.
”Our customers want local sales presence
with support in their time zone and language, and
with today’s announcement we can serve them
even more efficiently. Moreover, they prefer to
sign contracts with a locally established company,
which has to obey the local legislation. Singapore
is a strategic hub in the Asian region and industry,
and we want to take advantage of the dynamic
environment there. But this office will of course
be working tightly with the parent company
in Sweden. One of our employees in Sweden
will move down to Singapore in the end of the
summer, and be responsible for driving local sales
and business development.”
The subsidiary will be operating as of mid
April, focusing mainly on signing contracts and
establishing cooperation with global, Asia-based
customers within the security, insurance and
telecom industry.
GWS, Global Warning System, was founded
in 2009, triggered by the experience with a global
SARS epidemic, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
and the Mumbai terror attacks. The mobile device
based aims to protect the traveller by realtime
tracking and providing valuable real-time
information about disasters and other threats
that could have impact on her/him. The system
consists of a range of services that are delivered
via the trave;ler’s mobile phone and is provided
to both businesses – Safeture Pro, and to private
individuals – Safeture.
Asean Finns meet in Singapore
During the last week of April 28-29 April
a unique meeting took place where all
Finnish Business Councils’ Directors and
representatives in the Asean region met with
FinPro and Finland’s Ambassadors to Malaysia,
Singapore and Thailand met to brainstorm and
plan opportunities and collaboration.
Coinciding with this unique summit, the
Finnish Business Council Singapore was privileged
to be able to invite its members to a Team Finland
ASEAN networking night on April 28th, at the
new AaltoEE premises, to hear first hand about
the business opportunities in Singapore, Thailand,
Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar
directly from the respective Ambassadors and
Charge d’Affairs, as well as to understand Finpro’s
role and charter in advancing business between
Finland and South East Asia.
The event contained: Ambassadors’ panel
discussion moderated by Riku Mäkelä, Trade
and Innovation Affairs Counsellor at Embassy
of Finland in Singapore; Finpro in ASEAN
presentation by Juha Miikkulainen, Vice President,
Head of Region India & APAC at Finpro; Q&A:
and Networking dinner.
The event was organized in collaboration with
the Embassy of Finland and generously sponsored
by Aalto Executive Education Academy.
6 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2016

German European School Singapore
entrenches roots and reaffirms commitment
to Singapore as they announce a new GESS Campus
The German European School
Singapore (GESS) has recently
announced the development of
their new campus, opening an exciting
chapter in the institution’s story as they
merge two existing campuses into one
purpose-built school with state-of-the-art
facilities.
With the potential to grow the
school community to 2,000 students, the
new grounds will have important school
facilities and spaces – specially designed
to accommodate the evolving mindsets
of future generations. Feedback
and contributions by teachers and the
community on the school’s layout and
design were strongly taken into account,
as the aim was to custom-build a campus
that meets the comprehensive needs of
students, teachers and the community.
Facilities at the new campus will
include a competition-sized sports
field and a sports hall, an Olympic-size
swimming pool, music and drama facilities,
a European Culture Centre, cooking lab,
state-of-the-art design technology studio,
age and subject specific classrooms, a
canteen, specialist rooms, a library and an
auditorium.
A groundbreaking ceremony took
place at the 3.05 hectare site of the
planned school on May 9th, 2016, located
at Dairy Farm Road in Singapore. The
campus will be ready to move in to during
the 2018 June/July school holidays in order
to operate by August.
GESS plays a vital role integrating
the European community into Singapore
by providing students with a holistic
learning platform which emphasises the
value and virtues of global diversity. The
school provides education in German,
following the German Curriculum, and an
English-speaking education, following the
IB Curriculum.
GESS also provides a Danish Mother
Tongue Programme to support the
maintenance and development of the
Danish language for native speakers. The
programme is available to students from 3
up to 18 years of age and is an integral part
of the timetable with no additional fees.
The school currently educates
1,500 students of more than 50
nationalities from 18 months to 18 years
and is open to take new admissions.
For more information please visit
www.gess.sg.
From left to right: Dr Bettina Fischer, Dr Michael Witter, Dr Vivian
Balakrishnan, Dr Michael Pulch, Dr Thomas Hufnagel, Mr Hermann
Battenberg
June 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 7

News Brief
Singapore’s Fastacash appoints Swede as chief innovator
Singapore-based social media and
messenger-based online payment enabler
fastacash on 19 April appointed former
Jawbone executive Jörgen Nordin as its new chief
innovation officer. Hiring the experienced Swede
aims to cement fastacash’s market leadership in
enabling social payments for businesses, where
it works with banks, remittance agencies and
money transfer companies, as well as mobile
wallet providers.
Prior to joining fastacash Jorgen headed
international product management at US-based
wearables company Jawbone. He has previously
served stints at Ericsson, Omnisky Corp, Tactel AB
and Mobile 365 (marketing, product management,
business development and sales roles).
His role in fastacash will include establishing
the innovation agenda of the payments technology
provider and leading the development of seamless
consumer-focused social payments solutions. The
firm seeks to expand its product offerings and
market presence across Asia, Australia, Europe,
the Middle East, and North America.
“In the last four years, the concept behind
fastacash has moved away from being simply an
idea – starting with just a three slide presentation
— to becoming a global innovator in the lucrative
social payments space,” said Vince Tallent, chairman
and CEO of fastacash.
“Large multinationals, including banks with
hundreds of millions of consumers, are looking
to fastacash to connect and engage with their
consumers through our innovative technology
solutions. Appointing a Chief Innovation Officer
with the energy, vision and background as rich
as Jorgen’s, positions us very well to redefine the
way people transact over social networks.”
fastacash brings innovative financial technology
solution to the partners, enabling them to tap into
the shift in consumer preferences towards mobile
money payments through social media channels.
fastacash also brings its user experience (UX) and
user interface (UI) design capabilities.
Jörgen Nordin is a customer-focused
professional with extensive domestic and
international experience who can work within all
levels of an organisation on operational, tactical,
and strategic tasks as well as provide strong
leadership and inspiration to his team. Jörgen has
a strong interest for all things technical and more
than 30 years of technology experience, says his
Linkedin page.
Being a part of executive management active
in customer facing sales activities as well as worked
on strategic value enhancing M&A transactions
including object identification, technical DD as
well as Board and Investor presentations.
The “self-professed gadget enthusiast”
is passionate about driving growth by taking
innovative technologies and products to market.
Jörgen has always been at the forefront of new
technology, leading product teams and launching
world firsts such as the first Bluetooth product
in 1999, the world’s first MMS-based marketing
campaign in 2003 and the launch of one-click
mobile content purchase as a managed service
in 2008.
In February 2016 fastacash and Budapestbased
mobile wallet provider Cellum announced
a new strategic cooperation to accelerate their
global growth. Under the new partnership, the
two companies are set to combine both their
service capabilities and global reach.
With clients in banks, telecommunication
operators and card scheme networks, Cellum is
able to open new markets for fastacash in Japan
and Thailand, as well as Austria, Bulgaria and
Hungary. It also will offer fastacash its PCI DSS
certified white label mobile wallet to its banking
and non-financial partners.
Swedish Lesjöfors acquires Singaporean company
Lesjöfors of Sweden, a leading spring suppliers
with internationally well-known customers,
has acquired the Singapore-based John
While Group Inc. Also a spring company, with
subsidiaries in China, Thailand and Singapore, the
acquisition strengthens the position in Asia and
expands its customer base in several emerging
markets.
John While Group specializes in the
manufacturing of customized springs. The
Group’s customers include companies in home
electronics/white goods as well as the engineering
and automotive industries. Its largest markets are
China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, which
account for approximately 80 per cent of sales.
Its customers include companies from the US
and Europe with operations in Asia. John While
Group conducts manufacturing operations in
Singapore, China and Thailand, with a product
range including some 7,000 items. The company
has 115 employees and reported revenues for
2015 corresponds to approximately MSEK 70.
“The combination of the operations that
Lesjöfors have today in China, focusing mainly
on pressings, and the JWG operation, focusing
on wire springs, will form a strong platform for
servicing existing and new customers to the
8 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2016
Lesjöfors and John While group. The acquisition
broadens the total capabilities of the group in
Asia and we can now support most of the needs
of spring’s locally which is a big strength for the
future says,” Kjell-Arne Lindbäck President of the
Lesjöfors group.
For JWG this acquisition strengthen the
operation via becoming part of a group of
companies being specialist in the field of springs
and pressings. This will enable access to technical
support and benchmarking possibilities that will
be of high value for the further development of
the JWG companies.
Over the years, Lesjöfors has conducted a
number of acquisitions and established strong
platforms in the Nordic region, other areas of
Europe and North America. The acquisition of
John While Group strengthens the company’s
position in Asia, a region with high market growth
and competitive manufacturing costs.
Following the acquisition, Lesjöfors has 24
production units in 12 countries. Together with
JWG its new owner will strengthen the service
and technical sales capabilities in Asia and offer its
existing and new customers the opportunity to
have most of their need of springs and pressings
locally supplied.

Oasia Hotel Downtown - A New Respite
Oasia Hotel Downtown is the latest hotel under the Oasia Brand
by Far East Hospitality to open in Singapore. In 2011, Far East
Hospitality debuted the Oasia brand with the opening of Oasia
Hotel Novena. Oasia redefines and sets new standards to
hospitality for astute business and leisure travellers who seek
wellness within the comfort and familiarity of a city. With Tanjong Pagar MRT
station right at the hotel’s doorstep, guests can conveniently travel to everywhere
else in the city.
An amalgamation of modern, urban design and eco-friendly elements, Oasia
Hotel Downtown offers a restorative respite in the city centre. Set against an
urban landscape of concrete, steel, glass, the building stands out with a unique
silhouette covered by a lush green façade that is a massive vertical garden. The
greenery is further enhanced by an alternating 30-metre tall sky gardens and sleek
architectural details. The interior is organic-themed and designed by renowned
Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola.
Hotel guests can enjoy all-day dining at The Marmalade Pantry, located at
lobby level 1, a well-known restaurant chain specialising in modern comfort food
whilst retaining the freshness and clarity of the ingredients. Founded in 1999, The
Marmalade Pantry has created a name for itself with its signature contemporary
bistro experience of serving good food in unique locales. The hotel In-room
Dining menu is also provided by The Marmalade Pantry and offers healthier
options round-the-clock.
Far East Hospitality is a regional hospitality owner and operator with a diverse
portfolio of nine unique and complementary brands of hotels, serviced residences
and apartment hotels, including Adina Apartment Hotels, Medina Serviced
Apartments, The Marque Hotels, Oasia Hotels, The Quincy Hotel, Rendezvous
Hotels, Travelodge Hotels, Vibe Hotels and Village Hotels & Residences.
Address :100 Peck Seah Street, Singapore 079333. Phone: 6881 8888
Bangkok, Thailand
June 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 9

Conscious
Fika Café
expanding in Singapore
By Maria Andreasdottir
Nothing beats a
home-cooked meal,
but at Fika Swedish
Café and Bistro
they have added a
little cherry on top of their Swedish
food experience: you will play a part
in their mission to make a difference.
Can you imagine a better feeling
than being full and helpful at the
same time?
“We will strive our best to
give back to society,” says owner
Tasneem Noor-Smidhagen.
She and Joakim Smidhagen
opened Fika Café in August 2009,
with the concept of making Swedish
food available for everyone. When
Tasneem backpacked in Sweden,
she fell in love with the country, she
was also desperate to try out the
Swedish cuisine, but since many of
the dishes were made using nonhalal
ingredients she was limited
to the choices she had. Joakim on
the other hand missed his Swedish
food when he moved to Singapore–
and voila because of these simple
reasons, Fika Café was born: a café
with a cosy homely feel serving
authentic Swedish dishes and the
first halal Swedish Café in the world.
“It is our priority that we keep
our dishes Authentic and following
traditional recipes. Most of the
recipes are from my mother, and
we have not changed the recipes
nor added any twists on them. It is
important that the Swedes who visit
us get a meal as they would if it was
cooked by their mamma’s at home,
and that the non-Swedes get a true
taste of a Swedish meal,” says Joakim.
The couple wants to serve their
guests a truly Swedish experience,
and this does not stop with food.
According to the couple, it’s typical
Scandinavian to give, and that is
exactly what they want to do, too.
The pursuit of Swedish
food in Singapore
“If somebody offers you an amazing
opportunity but you are not sure
you can do it, say yes – then learn
how to do it later!” says Tasneem.
These words are from her
favorite quote by Sir Richard
Branson.
“And that’s how we did it!” she
adds to the quote.
Tasneem and Joakim fell in love
at the airport in Malmö. She was on
her way back home, but the couple
were so fond of each other, that
one year after, Joakim moved to
Singapore because of love. Neither
of them had ever worked in F&B,
save for a summer job or two as
servers during their teenage years.
But when the two former designers
had the chance to set shop together,
they took it: a row of shophouses
was up for bid, and Tasneem’s father
recommended his daughter and son
in law to go for it.
10 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2016

“My father has always
encouraged his children to be
entrepreneurs. Now I, together with
Joakim, had the opportunity, and we
had our minds open for new ideas.
We were not afraid to try ourselves
out on a completely different field,”
Tasneem said.
It can be discussed how far away
the idea of starting a Swedish café
and bistro was from Tasneem and
Joakim; Tasneem being a passionate
chef all her life and Joakim being
Swedish. The idea of Fika Café
came after Joakim and Tasneem
got married in Singapore in 2007.
The newlywed couple missed the
Swedish food; Joakim, because
it reminded him of home, and
Tasneem, because she never had
the chance to get the full Swedish
cuisine experience.
“It was very hard to get Swedish
food, when I moved here almost
nine years ago. The only way was to
cook it at home, and thankfully I had
my wonderful wife to do it with me,”
says Joakim.
“For me, I really wanted to
introduce the Swedish cuisine to my
friends and family, they were missing
out on a whole array of amazing
dishes! It was my responsibility to
allow them the opportunity,” said
Tasneem.
“So why not make the food
ourselves? Why not make a place,
where people can have a decent
and budget-friendly Swedish meal,
cooked using Swedish recipes, and
made halal, so everyone can have a
chance to taste it?” they both asked
themselves.
The concept of a Swedish halal
restaurant was born.
They opened their first café in
Arab Street, and the new bistro’s
concept was warmly welcomed and
much appreciated by the locals and
tourists alike.
“Just like me, many of these
people had never tried many
Swedish dishes before, because of
the ingredients not being halal, and
of course, many had never even
tried Swedish food at all, so it has
been a new world to discover for a
lot of our guests,” says Tasneem.
Obviously, Fika Café was and is
also highly popular among Swedes.
“It is one of our biggest praises,
when Swedish travelers have their
meal here and says: “It’s exactly like
Mamma would have made it,” says
Joakim.
And the lovely comments to
the food could not been more true:
most of the recipes come from
Joakim’s Swedish mother.
Fika Café brought an authentic
and “new” cuisine to Singapore, and
Tasneem and Joakim had no idea
their company would become so
popular - suddenly, it was time to
expand, and it meant a lot of work
- maybe working together with the
INTERNATIONAL BOARDING SCHOOL OF SWEDEN
“An international boarding school in an idyllic, safe and secure environment.
Grennaskolan provides not only good foundations for your future,
but also for your well-being here and now”
www.grennaskolan.se
+46(0)390-33208 / info@grennaskolan.se
June 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 11

one you love is maybe the secret
to growth?
Regardless, they now have
three café outlets, two children, a
marriage, and they’re about to open
a new bakery. Is it possible to have
more things to care about?
They now have three café
outlets, two children, a marriage,
and they’re about to open a new
bakery. Is it possible to have more
things to care about?
#fikacares
“It is important to us that we do
our part to give back to society.
We are privileged in both Sweden
and in Singapore, and we believe in
helping each other. We care. And we
will strive to make our community a
better place.”
It has always been common
to both Joakim and Tasneem to
support an organization. But this
year, Fika Café began a movement
called #fikacares, where supporting
others is the alpha and omega focus.
Fika Café is now collaborating
with five different support
organizations; Hope Villages Fund,
Singapore Children’s Society, Breastfeeding
friends Singapore, Spirit of
Enterprise Awards, and Muslim
Kidney Action Association. Since Fika
Café is a family restaurant owned
by a family, children hold a very
special place in their hearts, why
most of their support organizations
regard children and families their
priority. But it’s not all about giving
out financial support.
“We want to be a part of the
different organizations. We want
to know them,” says Joakim and
Tasneem.
And how to show you care?
Tasneem finds this question very
easy to answer.
“We show love by food,” she
says. Tasneem and Joakim love
feeding people, and when they
began collaborating with Singapore
Children’s Society, Fika hosted a big
birthday party for the children. Here
they children could join cooking
classes, decorate cupcakes, sing
birthday songs to each other, and
of course, be spoiled with delicious
food and birthday cake.
To Fika, it is important to see,
meet, and get to know the real
people behind the foundation,
which is the reason why they invite
real people to dinner, events, and
workshops.
Since 2009, Fika has been
supporting the Hope Villages Fund,
and provided clean water to the
people of the villages in Cambodia.
We also make it a point to visit the
villages yearly so as we are physically
part of the lives of the villagers as
well.
Fika Café is also proud to be
the part of the 1000 Enterprises for
children in need by the Singapore
Children’s Association.
It warms their hearts to make
others happy, and even if their lives
are busy, Joakim and Tasneem will
always find time to help others.
Nothing is more important than
caring about each other – and to
show it!
“All these efforts stem from the
belief that if we focus our hearts
on genuinely helping those around
us, we will find that the profits
that we make become more easily
attainable and ultimately much more
rewarding,” they say.
“We are really excited about
#fikacares, and we hope our
small efforts can be a change for
somebody, or inspire others to do
the same.”
Fika Café’s guests will
automatically be a part of giving
to others. Either by dining at Fika,
since Fika donates money from
the café, or by applying to become
volunteers for the different events
and seminars too. Fika Café hopes
you will join them on their mission
to make a difference, and as we
mentioned in the beginning, is there
a better feeling than knowing you
are doing an effort and at the same
time having a wonderful meal as a
Swedish mother would have made
it?
12 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2016

Scandinavian women
discovers their own
brand in Singapore
By Maria Andreasdottir
What is your
personal
brand? Or in
other words:
What do you
want to be known for?
This was one of the many
questions Roger Grant asked
members of Scandinavian Women’s
Association (SWA) and friends
at the ”Work made personal”-
workshop on Thursday 19 May
2016. Roger and his wife Sophia
Chin own PERSONNA, where they
make a living on helping people find
their inner talent and professional
success, and that was exactly what
the Scandinavians were interested
to hear more about. How do you
know, if you are using your personal
brand to its full potential? And, how
do you use your full potential?
Many of these questions
along with others are usually not
answered fast, but Robert Grant
encouraged the ladies and the one
male attending, that they were better
not to overthink each question.
Sometimes the true answers appear
automatically, which also makes the
person more authentic and honest.
And even hard questions can quickly
be answered, or at least create an
idea to an answer, when you’re
working within a time limit. Roger
handed out a “destination postcard”,
a blank card which participants
should craft with a drawing and
a letter from their future self on
where they want to see themselves.
He started a timer, and within 5
minutes the ladies and the man had
to answer 5 questions regarding
their dreams and goals.
Colorful pens, post-it notes and
wine-filled glasses flourished on the
table, when the workshop guests
wrote their postcards. Intensity
and creativity were blooming, and
by sparring with each other the
participants were inspired to see
new ways on how to strengthen
their persona, and what person they
want to become in the future.
One of the attendees was
Norwegian Silje Kalsaas, a new
member of Scandinavian Women’s
Association. Being new to Singapore,
she believed the workshop was
inspiring.
“The workshop was very
motivating. It was a great
confirmation on the belief of making
a great career,” says Silje Kalsaas.
The workshop consisted of
both networking with wine and
cheese, practical assignments, and
group discussion. For Betina Falster-
Hansen, owner at DANSK SG, the
evening passed by all too soon.
“I really enjoyed the workshop,
but I think this subject on personal
branding deserves more time than
one evening,” she said.
Roger had similar feedback:
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,”
he said. PERSONNAs workshops
are based over several days, and it
is up to the individual to decide on
how many workshops he or she
wants to join. The personal brand
is a constant developing feature,
why it is always good to ask yourself
questions on where you want to
go in life, and if you have to change
direction to meet your own wishes.
It’s easier to brand yourself, when
you know what you want. “Be
consistent,” says Roger. Although, in
a world with never ending options, it
can be difficult to find that one thing.
One of the Danish participants,
entrepreneur Marija Avdic, founder
of Creative2, believes this can be
solved with action.
“Maybe you don’t know it’s the
right thing now, but give it a chance
to see how much you like it. Find
something you think is interesting,
and make it a project. You don’t
have to know all about it, but aim
to make it your key project. Make it
that something, that wakes you up
happy in the morning, determined
to do it. You never know if you don’t
try. Take action,” she says.
Taking action was also one of
the points in the workshop, which
the drawings, the letter writing, and
the discussions showed.
The event was hosted by
Scandinavians Women’s Association
(SWA) with the aim of giving
the opportunity to discover and
unlock one’s personal brand, and
as a change, it was not only women
who attended the workshop. The
President of SWA was so impressed
with the workshop, and wants to
repeat the success.
“We will absolutely host another
Personal Branding workshop again.
We hope to repeat this event again
in fall, so newcomers to Singapore
will have a wonderful seminar and
also give them the chance to create
a network in the very beginning,”
says Maria Therese Hedenborg.
June 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 13

Airline seat comfort
finally gets attention via
Nordic-Singaporean
start-up
by Joakim Persson
14 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2016
The words are an insider, a previous
airline executive’s take: “I am ashamed
to say that airlines haven’t really
done anything in the economy class
passenger comfort for the past
decades, so I would say that our goal is really to
change that.”
He is Jere Tala, CCO at AirGo Design Pte Ltd,
known to many from his previous roles working
for Finnair, as well as Qatar Airways in Asia.
“Airlines don’t really care about your comfort,
but about the weight of the seat and how many
seats they can fit inside one aircraft and so on,”
Jere explains further in connection to his new
adventure within Singapore’s emerging start-up
scene.
AirGo Design, with a very strong Nordic
connection in its team, is working on innovating
next-generation airline seats and with a
fantastically interesting product for the majority
of us, to be launched come Q3 2016. All we have
to hope for is that the airlines can be convinced
this time.
The enthusiastic entrepreneurs behind the
AirGo Design team also includes the other
Finns Henri Holm (previously with Nokia and
Rovio Entertainment in Asia) and CEO and Co-
Founder Mikko Alanko (based in Asia since 2002)
as well as Swedish citizens CLO & Co-Founder
Maziar Jahanshahi (founder of Scalado) and Ali
Jahanshahi.
It was co-founding designer & inventor (also
a renowned materials scientist) Alireza Yaghoubi
who came with the innovation forming the basis
for this business idea that has such huge market
potential.
After travelling in Iran (where all aircraft are
very old due to the previous embargos) and
swopping to a brand new plane with one of the
world’s top airlines in the Middle East, he had
asked himself: “How is it possible that when I was
sitting in the 40 years old aircraft it was actually
more comfortable than in the seat I am now
sitting in?”
The idea was born there and then, based
on his aggravations and others’ complaints about
neck pain, poor blood circulation and backache
caused by the primitive ergonomics in economy
class.
“There is a potential to do something big

and really change the industry,” he had concluded.
“94 per cent still travel in economy class;
people just don’t have the possibility of paying the
difference, upgrading to business class. The bigger
price difference is huge,” Jere points out.
Business class has been in more less totally
in focus for all innovations when it comes to the
seats. In Economy, meanwhile, seats on planes
are really not different from those used back in
the 1980’s.
With a sketch of an ideal seat Alireza won a
design competition and that set things in motion
for the start-up.
The principle behind the AirGo Design is
that each seat occupies an independent space
that doesn’t impinge on the others and offers
unparalleled seat comfort. This can make flying in
economy class better for all of us, while the gamechanger
for airlines are the huge savings they will
be able to obtain.
The impossible becomes possible
The airline industry is really conservative, so even
when Jere himself first met the team and they
showed him the drawings that they had made,
his first statement had been: ‘No way – it’s not
possible’.
“Because in the aviation industry they are
all a very inward-looking, conservative bunch
of people,” he recalls. “Nobody wants to try
something completely different and new.”
“So it’s been a really great experience for me
as well to really open my eyes and look at what
can be done and not.”
There are two additional key reasons for
the standstill up to now within this conservative
industry; lack of technology being one.
“Technical advances with composite materials
have taken huge leaps forward only in recent years.
Second, the seat market being practically run by
only three big companies producing aircraft seats.
Their order books are completely full for the next
3 – 5 years. Airlines come to their doors knocking
so they don’t have to innovate.”
Reduced body pressure
Enter the upcoming revolutionising sitting
concept AirGo seat (patent-pending), which will
be a new economy class air passenger seat design;
branded as more ergonomic, less intrusive on
other passengers and more economically viable
than current designs.
“The floor space is exactly as today’s seats; it’s
just a numbers game. If you give more leg space it
means you’ll have less seats and no airline would
buy a seat that takes more floor space. We have
redesigned our seats so that within the same floor
space of current seats take we are able to give
passengers up to 4 inches more leg space, just be
re-designing the seat and how you actually sit on
it,” explains Jere.
For improved comfort 3D body scanning has
also been used, which makes it different from the
existing seat producers.
“The seat is not flat but curved, following
your body contour. And the use of so-called
memory foam paddings with different density –
some softer, some harder – makes the long-haul
sitting effect less painful than today where the
seat is made from the same material everywhere
and thus the pressure to your body the same
everywhere. So it’s based on your sitting posture,
since certain parts of your body touch the seat
heavier than other parts when sitting for a longer
time.”
“We want to bring improved comfort also
into the economy cabin – while at the same time
keeping in mind that it’s the airline who runs the
business. They have to be able to make a profit –
and that is why our seats use this new technology
that makes the seat up to 50 per cent lighter than
today! That will be a huge benefit for the airline,”
states the CCO..
“Obviously we want to change the whole
world. We believe that once an airline starts using
our seats and people really experience it, this will
change the way how we all travel,” states Jere.
At an aircraft interior expo in Singapore,
come October, the AirGo seat will have its global
launch. The strategy is to aim for long haul routes
as a premium product.
“That narrows it down to the leading airlines.
The other thing is that the client has to be
innovative and ahead of the curve; doing things
that the others have not been doing.”
“Singapore is definitely an aviation hub in Asia,
where we have one of the strongest airlines in the
world, and there’s a lot of manufacturing and all
kinds of aviation-related industries here. This was
a natural place for us to start in.”
They are, in parallel, currently in the lengthy
prototyping and certification processes.
“We’ve been working on this for about two
years and it’s not only the aviation industry – we
are now being contacted by companies within
railways, ferries, long haul bus travel, even from
electric bus companies that think our seat is so
cool, asking us for custom designs. The potential is
huge. Our core is however aviation because that
is where we started out and what we are focusing
on first. But we see that this really can expand into
many other industries as well.”
AirGo Design was self-financed until late
2015, when they received a grant from the
Singapore scheme called, Spring (agency under
the Ministry of Trade and Industry responsible for
helping Singapore enterprises grow and building
trust in Singapore products and services).
Then, in April this year they got the first
external financing round from Dubai, DP World, a
company operating ports via its partner TURN8.
This accelerator invests in technology start-ups
and support them with mentoring, training and
their product launch in exchange for an equity
position in the company.
Better than the corporate world
Jere was asked by the founders two years ago to
join this very exciting start-up. His long experience
from the airline industry benefits his role and the
company.
“My aviation knowhow and network is a very
important part of this but our team, which is very
unique, makes it possible to bring completely
new ideas to the table and we have so different
backgrounds that it’s really great,” he responds.
And he would not want to return to the
corporate world again.
“Once you are inside the start-up world
it’s so different, it’s so exciting. But the perks in
the corporate business is that every month you
get the same amount of salary to your bank
account, which is fantastic, whereas in the start-up
world you don’t get that; you only see your bank
account savings reducing month after the month.”
“Sometimes you would like to proceed much
faster than you can but that’s how it goes. There
are lots of disappointments but also fantastic
moments and those, at the end of it, surpass the
disappointing moments.”
June 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 15

Singapore Zoo
a zoo-per activity for the whole family
By Maria Andreasdottir Photos: Wildlife Reservations Singapore
Singapore Zoo. It’s one of the first thing
you hear, when you ask for a “must see” in
Singapore. Not only is it the perfect escape
from the concrete jungle to the tropical
rainforest, it’s also considered to be one of best
zoo’s in the world. With its focus on education
and its “open-concept”, visitors are getting
the ultimate wild life experience. ScandAsia
has visited the zoo to understand what makes
Singapore Zoo one of the greatest.
The expectations are sky high before
our visit to Singapore Zoo. Everyone
recommends it. Everyone.
“It doesn’t matter if they have
even been in Singapore or not. It was
something everybody said I had to do during my
visit in Singapore,” says Kirstine Brøgger Jensen,
architect at Ramsbøll, Denmark.
She visited the zoo with her children in
May 2016, which makes her one of the annual
1,7 million visitors to the zoo. She has already
been visiting a lot of zoos around the world,
and award-winning zoos are also to be found
in Scandinavia. We are about to find out what
makes one of the world’s best zoos.
For a starter, we are already impressed by
the size of Singapore Zoo, which covers 26
hectares divided into three parks: Singapore
Zoo, River Safari, and Night Safari. Yasmin
explains, that all of them have an “open
concept”-design in common, which allows
visitors to get really close to the animals in their
natural surroundings. In total, the park is home
to over 2,800 animals representing over 300
species, which are displayed in large, naturalistic
habitats separated from visitors by hidden
barriers that include vegetation, streams, moats
and rocks.
“The open concept is great, because you
are not only getting to see the animals, you are
also gaining an insight of natural habitat. It made
the visit even more entertaining, and especially
the option to participate in the feeding of the
16 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2016

animals was an amazing opportunity to get close
to the animals,” says Kirstine Brøgger.
Special activities are organised to enhance
visitors’ experiences; for example musical
performances and magic shows on public
holidays.
During the month-long school holiday
periods in June and December, there are themed
campaigns with value-added activities catered to
children, such as craft stations and educational
booths.
Additionally, not only are the exhibits
continually improved to ensure that guests
always have something new to look forward
to with each visit to the park, the facilities are
also regularly maintained and upgraded to
ensure that guests can have a memorable and
meaningful experience.
Close to the animals night and day
As mentioned, visitors are impressed by the
open concept at Singapore Zoo. It is wellknown
for its walk-through immersive exhibits
where animals and visitors share a space for
incredibly intimate encounters, allowing for a
memorable experience. We walk along with
orangutans in the free-ranging orangutan
habitat, which Singapore Zoo can boast of
being the first in world to have. Here is it
possible to dine together with the orangutans,
as Singapore Zoo is the only place in the world
where you can have breakfast with not one but
an entire family of orangutans. The breakfast
programme is extremely popular for families
worldwide.
At Fragile Forest, visitors can enter a massive
bio-dome to journey through the different levels
of a rainforest. There, we stand right next to a
Malayan flying fox as it eats a papaya, while a ringtailed
lemur passes us, and over our heads are
colorful birds flying. The animals are not scared
of us. Since we are so close to them, we feel
great for not disturbing them by our presence,
and we are happy to see, that they are living their
life peacefully.
Another unique way to meet the animals
and to get the absolute wild life experience
is the outstanding Night Safari. It’s the world’s
first safari park for nocturnal animals, where
visitors get the amazing opportunity of seeing
over 2,500 animals in their naturalistic nighttime
habitats. According to Kirstine Brøgger, the Night
Safari tour was the definite highlight of the zoo.
“It’s an exceptional experience to go around
in the dark and watch animals, who usually sleep
during the day. You are literary walking inside
some of the paddocks of herbivorous animals.
It’s amazing!” she says.
The best way to begin the exploration of
Singapore’s famous nightspot is on a guided
tram tour of 40-minute, which takes you into
the domain of the world’s most fascinating
nocturnal animals. The tram guide will fill you in
on the special residents as you journey through
7 geographical zones of the world. There are
small pit stops during the tram ride, where
guests can have a break or continue the journey
on their own feet on the walking trails. There
are signs displayed everywhere, so we are not
afraid to get lost in the dark, and neither are
we missing any information about the different
animals. Even if we felt really close to the animals
during daytime, it feels even more authentic to
be surrounded with them in the moonlight.
Singapore Zoo is also a Learning Zoo, where
the guest experience involves understanding the
animals at a deeper level through well-designed
and interactive educational displays.
A park for everyone
The zoo experience is for all ages - whether you
are looking for activities, education, or simply
just a walk in the enormous beautiful garden of
Singapore Zoo.
“I like how Singapore Zoo is for everyone.
The children-friendly activities are not
separating anything for other visitors, and the
parks and the experiences are easily accessible
and entertaining for all ages. And if you are
visiting with kids, there are small trams to help
you get around when the little feet are getting
tired,” says Kirstine Brøgger.
Education, experiences, and endless
of impression! We look forward to visit the
wonderful animals, the helpful staff, and the park
again, when we need a break from the urban
environment.
June 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 17

Norwegian Boys’ Choir
attracts 850 guests to
church concert
By Maria Andreasdottir
‘‘If it doesn’t give you goose bumps,
you need help. Seriously,” said Karl
Johnny Hersvik, CEO of Det Norske
Oljeselskap ASA (The Norwegian
Company), before 60 Norwegian boys
began their performance of their first public
concert in Asia.
Looking around the fully seated church guests,
it was indeed difficult not to spot a person not
being moved by the concert.
”It was simply outstanding,” said Ingvil Tybring-
Gjedde, Norwegian Vice Minister of Petroleum
and Energy.
She was one of the 850 guests to listen to
the magical sounds of Nidarosdomens Boys’
Choir, when they performed in the St. Andrew’s
Cathedral in Singapore on Friday 20 May 2016.
Øystein Tønnessen, Head of Communication
and Music from the Norwegian Seamen’s Church
in Singapore couldn’t agreed more.
“Think about how huge this is. More than
800 people are gathered here in the church on
a Friday evening to listen to classical music. That
is unusual, but it also shows how appreciated the
Nidarosdomens Boys’ Choir is,” he said.
The attention for the concert proved
the universal love for music. The boys sang in
Norwegian, German, English, and even Latin, but
both familiar and unknown words from the songs
were all equally appreciated by the audience.
St. Andrew’s Cathedral is the largest cathedral
in Singapore, and its huge volume space made
18 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2016
the voices sound clear and strong. People had
even gathered outside the church to listen to
the concert.
“It’s unbelievable. The tickets were sold out
in the very beginning, and we have even made
more seats available. I am so happy about how
the Singaporean community are welcoming
Norwegian culture,” said Rolf Jarle Brøske,
Director of Communication, The Norwegian Oil
Company.
With the youngest member of the choir only
being 10 years old, you wonder how many nerves
are build up before the performance. The choir’s
conductor, Bjørn Moe, said the boys were very
excited, but having nerves? No. “Backstage they
have been relaxed, but eager to sing,” he said.
And as they say, practice makes perfect.
“All of these boys have been training incredibly
hard to become the Nidarosdomens Boys’ Choir.
They have trained to succeed,” said Karl Johnny
Hersvik, CEO of The Norwegian Oil Company.
According to the boys themselves, nerves
were not an issue.
Members of Boys’ Choir Peter Irgens and
Save Brautaset, both 12 years old, agreed the
concert had been a fantastic experience, and they
were not nervous at all.
“The only thing I was worried about was the
heat, because usually we have to wear long pants
underneath our cape uniforms, but luckily, we
were allowed to wear shorts,” said Peter Irgens,
member of Nidarosdomen’s Boys’ Choir.
All the boys were handed beautifully
handmade gifts from Singaporean C.I.T.Y.
organization, as a thank you of bringing Norwegian
culture into Singapore and pleasing all guests with
their voices. Norwegian Ambassador in Singapore,
H.E. Mr. Tormod C. Endresen, expressed his
gratefulness in words of having the boys’ choir
in Singapore.
The 60 boys from the choir were brought
from Trondheim to Singapore by Det Norske
Oljeselskap ASA (The Norwegian Oil Company)
as a part of the celebration of finishing the Ivar
Aasen-project, and this concert in St Andrew’s
Cathedral was the only public concert. The Boys’
Choir also performed on 21 May 2016 for the
official Sail Away celebration of Ivar Aasen, and
during the formal dinner even. The Norwegian
Oil Company wanted to host this public concert
as a way of giving back to the community they
have been working in for the last three years.
Together with the musical gift, The Norwegian
Oil Company donated SGD 2000 to C.I.T.Y,
(Character in the Young), a community service of
St. Andrew’s Cathedral, which aims to build good
character in school children.
Photos courtesy of The Norwegian Oil Company.

ScandAsia (192x135mm)FEB.indd 1
15/2/16 8:52 AM
Put a newsroom at the heart of your PR strategy
• One stop media hub. News, blog, video, images,
social media feeds – all in one place.
• “Multi-publish” your news and content to the media,
key infl uencers and social networks.
• Identify key infl uencers and bring them closer to
your brand.
• Stakeholders can subscribe to your news with one
click.
• Search engine optimised.
• Easy to update, no need to involve IT.
• Responsive newsroom design optimised for all de
vices – mobile, tablet or PC.
More than 5,000 brands are using Mynewsdesk
to tell their stories, including brands like:
Call us at +65 6557 0028
or email us at apac@mynewdesk.com for a free consultation.
June 2016 • ScandAsia.Singapore 19

Planning your future for you and
your loved ones. Together.
At SEB Private Banking, we acknowledge that everyone has a unique set of challenges.
We concentrate on developing meaningful, long-lasting financial relationships and
make the effort to really understand you and your requirements.
Your own private banker, client assistant and experts are dedicated to help you achieve
your goals. Together we take a holistic approach, aiming at a well-planned future for you
and your loved ones.
To find out what we can do for your personal wealth,
contact us in Singapore on +65 63 57 08 95
or via singapore@sebprivatebanking.com.sg
sebgroup.lu/privatebanking